"RIP - You will be missed by so many, especially your Family !"
In loving memory of
Edward "Timer" F. Harms
September 19, 1919 - December 23, 2020
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, December 28, 2020 at the United Methodist Church, Titonka. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be held at Buffalo Township Cemetery, Titonka. The services will be live-streamed on Oakcrest Funeral Services' Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/oakcrestfuneralservices Social distancing practices will be followed, and masks are required at both the funeral service and visitation.
Edward "Timer" Harms was born on a farm just outside of Titonka on September 19, 1919 to Diedrich and Rosalie Harms, weighing in at 14 pounds. At Age 4, his family moved to a house just south of the schoolhouse in Titonka. Edward got the nickname "Timer" because when he was young, it was common in their neighborhood for everyone to address others as "Hey ol' Timer" when they didn't know their names. So, when they called him that, he liked it and it stuck. He graduated from Titonka High School in 1937.
He went to work for Maurice Keil in the bee business until August of 1941 when he was inducted into the Army for 4 years. He had basic training in Texas, service in guard duty at aircraft plants in California and spent twenty months in the Aleutian Islands on the Island of Attu. After being discharged in October of 1945, he went back to work for Maurice Keil again until 1948. In 1949, he took the job of custodian of the Titonka School (his father had also been custodian of the Titonka School). Timer loved working for the school and working with all the staff, teachers, cooks, bus drivers, and seeing all the children daily going to their classes. He retired in 1994 with 49 years of service and would tell everyone, "it was the best place to work and the best people to work for."
Timer was united in marriage to Dawney Hix on March 25, 1949 at Titonka. They built their home on the lot just south of his childhood home. He was a member of the Titonka United Methodist Church and enjoyed playing his guitar, especially with Judy and Toni, at different social and church events.
Timer lived in his same house, south of the school, until he was almost 99 years of age and then he moved into the Accura Healthcare Center in Spirit Lake, where he died December 23, 2020 at the age of 101.
He is survived by his three daughters, Sydelle Harms of Spirit Lake, Cindy Jensen of Spirit Lake, and JoLynn Harms also of Spirit Lake; son, Douglas Harms and his wife Terri of Spirit Lake; two grandchildren, Lincoln Harms and his wife Lyndi and their three children, Makenzie, Chloe, and Dalaney of Garner, and Sara Stover and her husband Jeff and their daughter, Gabby of Morrison, CO. Timer is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
Preceding him in death are his parents; wife, Dawney; five sisters and three brothers.
Tributes
"One day after school I had to go get something I had forgotten out of my locker. When I walked in, I could hear Timer singing Lucille by Kenny Rogers. As soon as he realized I was there he promptly quit singing. It made me giggle because it wasn\'t like I had never heard him before. I had heard him sing with Mom and Thelma a hundred times. I always loved listening to them sing together. Love, Tracy Broesder (Junkermeier) "
"Sorry to hear Timer passed away. I got to know him at the Titonka care center when my uncle was there. We always enjoyed when Judy and Thelma and Timer sang for the residents. We just loved that so much ! He was one super guy!! Connie (Berg) Peteritis"
"All my Doocy sisters and our dad, George, have very special places in our hearts for Timer. Mom and Dad both shared precious stories of Timer from their Titonka days. At Accura Timer gave us such hope, dear smiles, and he will be missed immensely. Please accept our deepest sympathies."
"Timer was kindness personified! He was custodian at Titonka when I was a student back in the 50s, early 60s and was kind, cheerful, used to sing as he went about his work! Our sympathies to his family. He and Dawnie were truly good people!"